Page 146 - CW E-Magazine (25-6-2024)

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DEEPENING TIES already dispensing petrol blended with cient storage. The increased blend- as companies prepare to meet the
20% ethanol. ing ratio in May shows oil companies 20% blending target.. Most vehicles
India, US agree to on closer cooperation in semi- have ramped up ethanol purchases. on the road today can easily use 10%
Some ethanol producers com- Distilleries want all their volumes blended petrol, but will need to make
conductors and critical minerals plained last month that biofuel stocks taken off their hands by oil companies minor component changes to use 20%
had been rising at their facilities for as quickly as possible as this would blended petrol. Ethanol has about a
India and the US have agreed to essential for clean energy technologies They also committed to quickly some months and blamed state-run fetch them quick cash. But oil compa- third less energy per unit volume than
closer engagement and cooperation and other important industries. conclude a bilateral Critical Minerals oil companies for this. They said oil nies have limited storage capacity at petrol. A 20% ethanol-blended petrol,
on supply chain, semiconductors and Memorandum of Understanding bet- companies were not lifting enough their depots. This is being expanded therefore, offers about 6-7% less fuel
critical minerals during the meeting of “Promoting India’s vital role in the ween the US Department of Com- volume probably due to lack of suffi - to help receive more ethanol supplies effi ciency.
the India-US initiative on Critical and Mineral Security Partnership, including merce and the Indian Ministry of Com-
Emerging Technology (iCET), led by through co-investing in a lithium re- merce and Industry and the Ministry of BIOENERGY
Indian National Security Adviser Ajit source project in South America and a Mines, and driving additional areas of
Doval and his US counterpart Jake rare earths deposit in Africa, to respon- cooperation in critical mineral supply Leafi niti Bioenergy supplies over 1,000-tonnes
Sullivan in New Delhi recently. sibly and sustainably diversify critical chains such as for graphite, gallium,
mineral supply chains,” read the fact and germanium. of CBG in fi ve months
India and the US also launched a sheet.
new strategic semiconductors partner- “Exploring opportunities for col- Leafi niti Bioenergy Pvt. Ltd., a renewable energy (RE) portfolio. additional income streams for farmers.
ship to co-develop semiconductor de- Advanced Materials R&D Forum laboration in the critical minerals sector wholly owned subsidiary of TruAlt Bio- Produced from agricultural residue, Additionally, it can be utilised as a
sign and manufacturing processes for The two countries agreed to estab- like bilateral collaboration in techno- energy Ltd., has reached a milestone in manure, and other organic residues, CBG clean cooking fuel, in transportation,
precision-guided ammunition. lish an India-US Advanced Materials logies for Neodymium-iron-boron metal, bioenergy. Between Jan-May 2024, the is as a sustainable alternative to fossil and for power generation, showcasing
R&D Forum on the margins of the alloy and magnet making, collaboration company has supplied over 1,000-tonnes fuels, signifi cantly reducing greenhouse its versatility and potential to transform
“Celebrating the conclusion of a India-US Joint Committee Meeting with Department of Energy entities; of compressed biogas (CBG) to the city gas emissions and supporting a circular the energy landscape.
joint Semiconductor Readiness Assess- on Science and Technology to expand Advancing Indian collaboration with gas distributor, AGP City Gas Pvt. Ltd., economy. The Indian Government has
ment through a partnership between the collaboration between American and U.S. organisations and companies for setting a record for the most CBG sup- been actively promoting CBG through Collaboration with GAIL
US Semiconductor Industry Associ- Indian universities, national laborato- carrying out research studies for bene- plied to AG&P over fi ve-months. “This various initiatives, including the Sus- In a signifi cant recent development,
ation and the India Electronics Semi- ries, and private sector researchers. fi ciation of critical minerals, including achievement underscores TruAlt Bio- tainable Alternative Towards Afford- Leafi niti Bioenergy has entered into
conductor Association, which identifi es lithium, titanium, gallium, and vana- energy’s unwavering commitment to able Transportation (SATAT) scheme, a non-binding term sheet with GAIL
near-term industry opportunities and “Deepening industrial and com- dium,” added the fact sheet. sustainable energy solutions and rein- which aims to establish a robust CBG (India) Ltd. to establish 10 new CBG
facilitates longer-term strategic deve- mercial coordination for critical mine- forces its position as a prominent and ecosystem in the country. plants. This strategic initiative repre-
lopment of complementary semicon- ral supply chains under the India-US The two countries agreed to build diversifi ed player in the biofuel industry sents an investment of approximately
ductor ecosystems,” read a fact sheet Commercial Dialogue between the a collaborative programme between in India,” the company said. The benefi ts of CBG are manifold: Rs. 600-crore and marks a major step
issued by the US and India. US Department of Commerce and the the Geological Survey of India and the it aids waste management, decreases forward in expanding India’s CBG
Indian Ministry of Commerce and US Geological Survey on exploration, CBG is a vital component of India’s reliance on imported fuels, and provides production capacity.
The two countries also aimed to Industry, with private sector input from characterisation and evaluation of rare
work together to ensure a reliable the India-US CEO Forum,” the fact earth elements and critical mineral BIOFUELS
supply of critical minerals, which are sheet stated. deposits.
NRL’s biorefi nery to start producing ethanol by July-
STEADY RISE
Average blending of ethanol in petrol crosses 15% in May August: MD

Average ethanol blending in petrol an average blending ratio of 15.4%, ply year that began in November 2023. India’s fi rst bamboo-based biorefi - commissioning of the complex project NRL and Chempolis Oy in October 2014.
crossed 15% for the fi rst time in May according to the oil ministry data. This The average blending was 12.1% in the nery, being set up by a joint venture of is being done in eight phases, two of The 50-ktpa of of bio-ethanol produced
as oil companies ramped up purchases is substantially higher than the 515- ethanol supply year 2022-23, 10% in Numaligarh Refi nery Ltd. (NRL) and which are complete. annually would primarily be used to
from biofuel makers whose production million litres of ethanol used in April 2021-22, and 8.1% in 2020-21. It was and Finnish companies Chempolis and blend with NRL petrol as mandated by
capacity has sharply risen in recent to achieve a monthly blending ratio 1.5% a decade earlier. Fortum, is expected to start producing The bio-refi nery is being built at a the National Policy on Biofuels. The
years. of 12.7%. ethanol by July-end or the beginning of cost of Rs. 40-billion and is designed surplus is to be sold to other oil mar-
India has set a target to increase the August. to produce 50-ktpa of ethanol, 16-ktpa keting companies. The bio-refi nery
State-run oil marketing companies About 3.51-billion litres of ethanol national blending average to 20% by of furfural and 11-ktpa of acetic acid. is expected to give a fi llip to bamboo
blended about 670-million litres of has been blended for a national average next year. About 14,600 fuel stations According to Mr. Bhaskar Jyoti A partnership agreement for the bio- cultivation in the region and bring about
ethanol in petrol in May, reaching of 12.6% for the current ethanol sup- operated by state oil companies are Phukan, Managing Director, NRL, the refi nery project was signed between a socio-economic transformation.

146 Chemical Weekly June 25, 2024 Chemical Weekly June 25, 2024 147

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